Inscribed on an Egg | Easter, I know, is already past

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by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875)

Translation © by Peter Palmer

Ostern ist zwar schon vorbei

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG FRE

Ostern ist zwar schon vorbei,
Also dies kein Osterei;
Doch wer sagt, es sei kein Segen,
Wenn im Mai die Hasen legen?
Aus der Pfanne, aus dem Schmalz
Schmeckt ein Eilein jedenfalls,
Und kurzum, mich tät's gaudieren,
Dir dies Ei zu präsentieren,
Und zugleich tät es mich kitzeln,
Dir ein Rätsel drauf zu kritzeln.

Die Sophisten und die Pfaffen
Stritten sich mit viel Geschrei:
Was hat Gott zuerst erschaffen,
Wohl die Henne? wohl das Ei?

Wäre das so schwer zu lösen?
Erstlich ward ein Ei erdacht:
Doch weil noch kein Huhn gewesen,
Schatz, so hat's der Has gebracht.

W. Ulrich sets stanzas 3-4

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Text Authorship:

by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Auf ein Ei geschreiben" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Walther Schneider (1916 - 2010), "Henne oder Ei (auf ein Ei geschrieben)", published 1999 [ mixed chorus and piano ], from Lachende Weisheiten, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by Othmar Schoeck (1886 - 1957), "Auf ein Ei geschreiben", op. 62 no. 30 (1948-9) [ voice and piano ], from Das holde Bescheiden: Lieder und Gesänge nach Gedichten von Eduard Mörike, no. 30, Wien: Universal Edition [sung text not yet checked]
by Wolfgang Ulrich (1924 - 1995), "Henne oder Has", 1983, stanzas 3-4 [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Peter Palmer) , "Inscribed on an Egg", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-06-24
Line count: 18
Word count: 98

Inscribed on an Egg

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Easter, I know, is already past,
So this is no Easter egg;
But who'd deny it's a blessing
When bunnies are laying in May?
Straight from the pan, fried in lard,
A little egg will always taste good,
And in short, it was a joy for me
To offer you this egg,
While at the same time it tickled me
To scrawl you a riddle upon it.

The sophists and clerics
Argued noisily among themselves:
Which did God create first?
Was it the chicken, or the egg?

Would that be so hard to solve?
The egg was conceived first:
But since there was no chicken then,
My dear, the spring bunny brought it.

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2010 by Peter Palmer, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Eduard Mörike (1804 - 1875), "Auf ein Ei geschreiben"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2010-04-04
Line count: 18
Word count: 113